Chapter 7: That Man Was Her President

The next morning, Sia Thubron woke early. The first thing she did was check herself for any strange marks. There were none. No hazy, inappropriate dreams either. Only then did she finally breathe out, the tension in her shoulders easing. She got out of bed, washed up, and changed into something a little more formal. It was her first day reporting to Everglory Group. She had been looking forward to it so much that she had practically sprung awake, ready to go. Black wide-leg trousers. A soft yellow ruffled blouse. Her inky hair was twisted into a neat little bun that made her look crisp and capable. In the mirror, the girl's skin looked like snow under light, and her eyes were clear as a pool of water. She had a clean, sweet prettiness to her, with the faintest hint of grown-up charm. Still, the youth in her brows and gaze gave her away at once. She was a girl who hadn't seen much of the world. After breakfast, the butler drove Sia to Everglory Group. She tipped her head back to stare at the CBD skyscraper spearing into the sky. The four gilded characters-Everglory Group-glittered so brightly they almost stung. Sia blinked those watery, luminous eyes and smiled, her heart brimming with anticipation. She would work hard. Once she saved enough money to get Grandma treated, she would take her and leave this place for good. Come on, Sia Thubron. You've got this. A red carpet had been rolled out at the entrance, lined with flower stands. There even seemed to be a banner welcoming the President. The whole thing looked unusually grand. Sia glanced at it twice without thinking much of it and hurried inside. Not long after she entered, a Rolls-Royce Phantom glided to a stop beside the red carpet at the main doors. "Mr. Quiney," Timothy Quiney said from the driver's seat, turning to look at the man in the back. "You haven't slept for a full day and night. Shouldn't you rest first?" Liam Hawksford had just gotten off a flight. In the early hours yesterday, he had seen his older brother off overseas for treatment. The time zones had left his body clock in chaos. In the rear seat, the man wore a perfectly tailored suit. He leaned back with his brows faintly drawn, eyes closed as if he were conserving what little energy he had left. Even sitting still, he radiated a cold arrogance that kept everyone at a distance. "Mr. Quiney… are you really going to show up in person and handle the company?" Timothy rarely talked too much, but he couldn't hold it in this time. The second young master had always stayed in the shadows, never once appearing publicly at the company. Yet he had suddenly announced he was parachuting in as President, taking over Everglory Group personally. If certain people caught his trail, the consequences… "You're talking a lot today." Liam disliked noise. His voice was low and clear, threaded with a tired rasp that still somehow hooked straight into the nerves. He opened his eyes. Long lashes lifted, revealing a pair of ink-dark eyes, sharp and bottomless. In the quiet cabin, his jawline looked carved in steel. His thin lips were red as fresh blood. That godlike face carried a danger no one dared probe. Timothy shut up immediately. He got out, then opened the rear door. Liam stepped down and stood on the endless red carpet, his gaze heavy and unreadable. The expensive black suit set off his tall, straight frame. His chill presence made him look like a proud, untouchable emperor. Handsome as a deity, cold and restrained, he gave off an almost ascetic air that made him feel impossibly out of reach. Timothy took his place behind him. Before long, all of Everglory Group's mid- and upper-level management filed out to greet him. The people who usually dominated meetings and pointed fingers at the world, no matter their age or status, all addressed Liam with the same respectful title. "President." Liam answered with a flat hum and strode into the building. He moved through the crowd like the moon surrounded by stars. Everglory Group's never-before-seen President had come to the company for the first time. The first thing he did wasn't to call a senior meeting, but to… inspect. It left the entire Everglory Group uneasy and tense. Yet the moment everyone caught sight of Liam's stunning face, men and women alike nearly turned to stone. Sia had just finished her onboarding at HR and received her badge. She stepped out of the office, unable to stop admiring it in her hand. As she rounded a corner, she failed to notice someone ahead and slammed straight into what felt like a wall of muscle. "Ow…" Her forehead cracked against the other person's chin. She clapped a hand over her head, wincing, and stumbled back a few steps. "I'm sorry… ah!" Sia started to apologize, then lifted her eyes through the pain. Those bright, clear eyes widened until they were practically round. "Y-you-you!" Her voice broke. "You clingy demon! Why won't you leave me alone?!" Sia felt like she'd seen a ghost. What was she looking at? She was looking at that waiter! Heavens. Her heart, which had been happily fluttering a moment ago, nearly exploded out of her chest. "You blind little thing! How dare you crash into the President!" A slightly older middle-aged executive behind them stormed forward, furious. "Which department are you from? You're fired! Immediately!" Liam didn't look the least bit surprised. He narrowed his eyes and studied the little thing in front of him. Seeing how badly she was shaken, the corner of his mouth lifted. "Demon?" Liam's voice still carried that calm, icy weight from earlier, the kind that made people struggle to breathe. Yet with his lips curved, there was unmistakably a hint of amusement. "Miss, is there some kind of misunderstanding between us?" The executive who had just shouted froze in disbelief. So did everyone else. This President really didn't play by the rules. Sia already had a swelling bump on her forehead. Hitting it again had hurt, but in front of this man, the pain turned distant and unreal. She snapped out of her horror and looked at the people behind him, then at the way he stood at the center of their attention. She was quick. How could she not see the problem? "Y-you… you…!" Sia tilted her head up at him, scared back into a stutter. She couldn't get a full sentence out. Liam lowered his brows slightly. His presence pressed in like a tide. Sia wanted to turn and run, but her feet felt rooted to the floor. She couldn't move. Someone tell her why this President looked exactly like the waiter she had hired that night! Inside, Sia screamed. She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself. "Intern translator?" Liam's gaze dropped to her badge. Sia immediately clutched it to her chest, bristling like a small lion cub whose tail had been stepped on. "Perfect." Liam's eyes flicked up again, cool and decisive. "I have some documents that need translating. Come to my office." After that, he didn't spare another glance at her ghost-seeing expression. With a faint smile, he walked past her. They could settle both old scores and new ones in a moment.